


Breathe for me

by FreakingOutGirl



Series: Tales of a happy life [1]
Category: Winter Garden, 슬기로운 의사생활 | Hospital Playlist (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, First Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Idiots in Love, Major Character Injury, Medical Procedures, Wise Doctor Life - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:01:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,372
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24951997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakingOutGirl/pseuds/FreakingOutGirl
Summary: It was supposed to be a good day. Jeong-won and Gyeo-ul were going to pick up his new car, have a two days-weekend for themselves and just be happy together.But when a familiar person from their past reappears with revenge in mind, Gyeo-ul might pay the price for Jeong-won's good deeds.
Relationships: Ahn Jeong Won/Jang Gyeo-ul, Kim Jun Wan/Lee Ik Sun
Series: Tales of a happy life [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1868032
Comments: 71
Kudos: 361





	1. Chapter 1

“Stop messing with the radio!” Jun-wan pushed Jeong-won’s hand away, while making sure they didn’t crash against the car in front of them.

“Yah! Today is my day to chose the station.” Jeong-won replied, pouting slightly, while Jun-wan kept him away from touching the radio again.

“What? When did we decide that?” Jun-wan’s glasses moved down his nose at his shock.

“The first time you gave me a ride, you said that I could choose the radio when I bought a new car.” Jeong-won replied, with a cheeky grin and Jun-wan was left speechless.

“No way, you bastard! You bought a car? When? And why am I giving you a ride then?”

The pediatrician kept smiling. “I’m going to get it from the seller this afternoon, after Gyeo-ul finishes her work.”

“Damn! I have to give that girl a lifetime supply of chocopies!” Jun-wan laughed. “Priest, my ass!”

Jeong-won smiled softly and shook his head at his friend’s antics.

"We have the weekend off, so we can spend more than two hours together." Jeong-won replied, with a wistful smile.

It was going to be a good day.

The hospital was appearing in front of them, in its whole imposing image, when Ahn Jeong-won pointed to something in front of him.

“You should park outside.” he said and Jun-wan’s followed his finger to an empty parking spot.

“Why? I prefer to have my car in the underground parking lot.” at least there, there were cameras in case an asshole scratched his precious car.

“Because someone is waiting for you.” and Jeong-won’s finger moved to the side, pointing at a woman, with short hair, standing in front of the Emergency Entry.

Jun-wan’s face immediately changed into an amazed smile.

“She was supposed to come next weekend.” he said, in some sort of daze, and this time it was Jeong-won’s commenting on his friend’s reaction.

“And here I was thinking you could only stare at food with that expression.”

Jun-wan knocked the back of his friend’s head, while carefully parking the car in the available spot.

Leaving Jeong-won next to the car, Jun-wan immediately ran to Ik-sun, embracing her stronger body against his own. She was smiling at his antics, and Jeon-won found himself mirroring that smile. He really liked to see his friends happy.

And speaking of happy, Jeon-won looked down at his watch, and then around himself. She was supposed to arrive at that time.

_And there she was._

Dressed in a denim jacket and a white shirt with small flower, Jang Gyeo-ul was walking towards him, with a smile on her face and her arm rising and waving to grab his attention.

Jeong-won quickly closed the distance between them in three quick strides, stopping in front of his girlfriend. She looked up, letting her arm fall and touch his hand softly.

“Good morning.” Gyeo-ul said, stepping back a little, just so she wouldn’t get a neck pain from looking up at her boyfriend’s tall frame.

“Hey.” Jeon-won replied, squeezing her fingers between his. He looked around and seeing only Jun-wan and Ik-sun close to them, he touched her hair gently. Jang Gyeo-ul closed her eyes for a moment and let his hand caress her hair.

She was brought out of her happy daze by a offended yell. Looking around Ahn Jeong-won, the GS resident saw how Professor Kim was rubbing his shoulder while yelling at a man walking towards Jeong-won and herself.

“You asshole! Don’t bump into people like that!” Jun-wan was still yelling while Ik-sun looked like she wanted nothing more than punch the guy that had just crashed against her boyfriend.

There was something familiar in the man’s frame, the way his shoulders were crouched and the way he speed walked. Gyeo-ul’s memory clicked at the same time she noticed something glinting inside the man’s hand.

And before she had time to really evaluate the situation, she was grabbing Jeong-won’s arms and rotating him to her previous position, before turning to face the approaching man. His face fell minutely when he noticed the change, but a look of recollect crossed his face when he saw her facing him. And that was the last thing she saw before something cold touched her skin right over her liver and then pushed in with a violent movement.

At first she only felt a wet feeling and the coldness of the metal against her body. Then, the pain appeared, sudden and violent, just like a punch. Jang Gyeo-ul looked down, noticing with a strange detachment that her previously immaculate pale shirt was turning a crimson red. She felt her legs buckle under her, while around her a confusion of screams and movement erupted suddenly. She was almost sure the hands grabbing her were Jeong-won’s, and that the screams belonged to Jeong-won as well. She could see Professor Lee’s sister hitting someone and Professor Kim running towards her and Jeong-won.

“Oh God, oh God! Help her, God, help her!” Jeong-won’s voice sounded more frantic with each moment, while Jun-wan moved her shirt aside to assess the damage, cursing under his breath when he saw the place that had been stabbed.

By the place the pain came from, Dr. Jang knew she had been stabbed in the liver. Now the question was knowing if it was in a life-threatening place, and by Professor Kim’s expression she wasn’t feeling lucky.

“I’m going to get help!” the cardiac-thoracic surgeon stated.

Gyeo-ul tried to look up and back and face Jeong-won, but the pain prevented her from doing anything more that whimper. She felt her boyfriend’s hands pressing her abdomen, while Kim Jun-wan ran towards the emergency room.

“Jeong...” she tried to call, but black spots were appearing all around her vision and she knew she was seconds away from passing out from shock.

“Shhh... Don’t speak, you are going to be okay. Ik-sun grabbed the guy and Jun-wan is coming back with help. I can’t move you, before the emergency team gets here. Can you keep conscious and breath slowly? For me?” Jeong-won was almost begging and Gyeo-ul scrunched her eyebrows. She didn’t like the sound of his voice like that. She didn’t like when he was feeling sad, like when one of his patients got worse.

Jang Gyeo-ul tried to answer him and tell him that she was going to lose conscience any moment now, but she couldn’t make her lips move and before she had the strength to try again, she felt a dark shadow pass over her eyes and she knew no more.


	2. Chapter 2

“Honey! Jang Gyeo-ul! Wake up!”

Jeong-won saw his girlfriend’s eyes closing and immediately started calling her, trying to keep her conscious and with him, a sign that her state wasn’t as bad as he thought it was. However, she kept unresponsive, her breathing shallow. The red was spreading more and more, while Jeong-won tried to put enough pressure on the wound.

The sound of wheels and loud voices made Jeong-won look up. Four people were approaching the fallen couple, Kim Jun-wan was running in front of the group, with Lee Ik-jun right behind him, while Doctor Bong and Nurse Song pushed a stretcher next to them.

Jeong-won started positioning Gyeo-ul the best way for them to carry her into the stretcher without jostling her too much. Jun-wan helped him, while Ik-jun pressed on her wound. Nurse Song was making sure she was safe, while Doctor Bong was already pushing the stretcher in front of them, with Lee Ik-jun parroting next to the doctor and nurse what to do next.

Jeong-woon stayed behind, knowing he would only be a nuisance. He looked down, at his hands, like they didn’t belong to him. They were shivering. For a surgeon, having bloodied hands was not a novelty, however, it was the first time the pediatric surgeon had the blood of the love of his life coating his fingers. And it made him feel sick.

Looking back, Jeon-woon saw the man that hurt his girl. He was on the ground, with hazed eyes, probably from Ik-sun’s restraining measures. But even seeing the man down couldn’t erase his fury and pure cold anger. And before Jun-wan could stop him, he ran towards the man, grabbing him and pulling him up. The man sneered at him, and for the first time Jeong-won recognized him: it was the father of those two young boys that he found out were being beaten by that monster. And in a moment he remembered the man’s promise of remembering his face. Only, it wasn’t Jeong-won laying on a stretcher, it was the woman he loved.

“I hope that bitch bleeds to death!” the man spat on Ahn Jeong-won’s face and before he thought about it, the doctor was pummeling his face in, with a violence he would never thought possible coming from him.

He couldn’t care about the sirens fast approaching. All he wanted was to erase that man’s existence. But before he could do it, two pairs of hands was pulling him back. He recognized those hands immediately, having seen them around him so much for the last twenty years.

Kim Jun-wan and Yang Seok-hyeong pulled his friend from the man, while Ik-sun did the same with the criminal. He had no idea when the doctor of obstetrics and gynecology had appeared.

“Are you nuts? Do you want to go to jail?” Jun-wan was screaming, pushing Jeong-won away.

Seok-hyeong was looking at his friend with sad eyes.

“Doctor Jang will need your support when she wakes up.” the obstetrician said simply, and that, more than anything else, made him stop his struggles.

Jang Gyeo-ul needed him, she needed him out of prison and close to her. And he needed to be there to see her open her eyes. Because, obviously, she was going to open her eyes. She had to. _O_ _r else he wouldn’t know what to do..._

A soft cough behind the three doctors, made them turn around and see a police officer standing there, clearly waiting to speak with them.

“Doctors, I’m sorry to interrupt, but I will need to speak with Doctor Ahn and Doctor Kim...” the officer looked between the three, trying to figure out who was who.

“I’m Doctor Kim, officer. And this is Doctor Ahn. I know the police will have to talk with us, but can it wait?” Jun-wan looked at Jeong-won as a way of explaining. The doctor’s paleness, bloodied clothes and hands, and red rimmed eyes clearly explained everything to the officer.

“Of course. Are you going to stay in the hospital?” the officer asked.

“Until Gyeo-ul wakes up I will stay here.” Ahn Jeong-won replied immediately and the police officer nodded.

“We will take the criminal to the police station and the person that is currently keeping him down as a first witness.” that person was obviously Ik-sun and Jun-wan didn’t know if he felt relieved or not that she would accompany the police officers and see that bastard behind bars. “In the next 48 hours a police officer will come here and take both of your statements. Is that alright with you?”

The two man nodded their consent.

When the officer moved away, it was like a wave crashed against Jeong-won. He felt his body sway and if it wasn’t for Seok-hyeong and Jun-wan he would have fallen to the cement ground.

The two of them supported their friend and walked him into the emergency room.

Inside the ER the chaos was everywhere. Apparently the news spread like wildfire and half the hospital had run to see what had happened with Doctor Jang. Whispers followed the three friends, while they walked towards Nurse Song.

“Doctor Ahn, Doctor Lee Ik-jun and Doctor Bong Gwang-hyun started operating on Doctor Jang a few minutes ago. Apparently the knife injured her liver, she was losing a lot of blood so there was probably a lesion in the artery. We immediately started a transfusion, before she entered in shock. For now that’s all I can tell you. As soon as I know anything else I will get you, alright? So why don’t you try to clean up a bit? I’m sure it will help.” Nurse Song squeezed Ahn Jeong-won’s shoulder and smiled sadly at him, before walking away.

“C’mon, buddy.” Seong-hyeon pulled his friend’s arm and Jeong-won’s followed him in a daze.

Jun-wan walked behind them, while texting simultaneously his girlfriend and Song-hwa. He needed to know how the first was faring and he needed to tell Song-hwa as soon as possible what happened, so she could drive from Sokcho and be the pillar they all needed. Because truth be told, Jun-wan was starting to feel his body crashing down after all the adrenaline, and someone needed to have a clear head to support Jeong-won. 

When the three of them reached Jun-wan and Jeong-won’s shared office, the pediatrician felt like the world around him was moving in a different velocity. It was like nothing was really real, like everything that happened that morning was just a bad dream, but it wasn’t, and that was when Ahn Jeong-won broke down. He started sobbing convulsively, almost unable to breathe, while his friends tried to calm him down before he passed out. His hands were gripping his hair, almost ripping it, trembling with barely suppressed terror.

“Hey, hey... Calm down, take a deep breath.” Seok-hyeong said calmly, and Jeong-won looked up at him, with tears falling down his cheeks.

“She was bleeding so much.” he whispered, looking at his hands. “She knew there was something wrong, she pulled me behind her. It was supposed to be me. Oh God, it was supposed to be me. Why her, God?” he started sobbing again, his fingers going over his bracelet again and again.

A wet rag fell on his hands and Jeong-won looked up to see Jun-wan standing over him.

“You can’t go around like that. Clean your hands, change your clothes and then we can go the waiting room.” when Jeong-won didn’t move, Jun-wan grumbled. “That idiot Lee Ik-jun won’t let anything happen to her, he likes Doctor Jang way too much. He will find a way to help her and then make you promise to name your first child after him. So, clean up! And then we wait.”

When they reached the waiting room, Doctor Chu Min-ha was pacing the room, tangling her hands over and over, and biting her lower lip. Noticing the three doctors, she stopped her movements and looked hopefully at them, clearly hoping for any of them to deny her fears. When neither of them said anything, tears started falling from her eyes and she cursed under her breathe.

Jeong-won approached the resident and knelt in front of her.

“It was all my fault that Gyeo-ul got hurt. I’m really sorry.”

Chu Min-ha gasped at his gesture and immediately pulled him up with the help of Seok-hyeong. Jeong-won’s eyes were dry, but there was an absence of life in them that made his expression scarier than if he was sobbing. Neither of his friends had ever seen him like this, and that spoke volumes about how much he loved that skinny young woman. Without knowing all of them started praying at the same time.

For now, it was all they could do.


	3. Chapter 3

Jeong-won was sitting on the waiting room, surrounded by his two friends and Doctor Chu Min-ha when his mother appeared, running in her high heels, with President Ju and Seok-hyeong’s mother speed-walking after her.

“My son.” Jung Rosa said, opening her arms and enveloping her son in her warm embrace. “How is Gyeo-ul?”

“She is in the OR. Ik-jun and Doctor Bong are operating on her.” Jeong-won explained, without moving away from his mother. She was petting his hair, and he could feel the tears once again running down his face.

“We were having lunch when Seok-hyeong called his mother. He only said that someone attacked Gyeo-ul. What happened?” Jung Rosa asked, moving away to look at her son.

“It was my fault.” the pediatrician whispered. “Mom, she is like that because of me.” and he hugged his mother once again, while behind them, Min-ha was quietly crying into Seok-hyeong’s shoulder.

“Ma’am.” Jun-wan approached the pair of mother and son and quickly recounted what happened that fateful morning. “The man is currently in custody. My girlfriend accompanied the police officers and gave them her account of what happened, so he would stay in prison for now.”

Rosa clutched her son against her body more forcefully when hearing of how Jang Gyeo-ul saved him. “My dear, I’m so sorry.” she kissed his hair, rocked him, while he cried freely. Feeling his mother warmth brought out all of his fears and insecurities about his girlfriend’s state and future. Something that the pessimist part of his mind was all too keen in letting grow and infest his head.

Jeong-won didn’t want to think about a negative outcome, however, seeing his friends and family around him made it look too similar to his father’s funeral. Imagining Gyeo-ul pale, cold and unresponsive made him bite his tongue until he tasted blood. As if knowing what he was thinking, his mother’s hand on his squeezed his fingers tighter.

The sound of running steps made everyone look up, expecting to see any of the doctors that were operating on Jang Gyeo-ul, but the person that was approaching them was Chae Song-hwa, still wearing her white lab from the other hospital and in a clear disarray.

“What are you doing here?” Jeong-won asked, when Rosa let him go so his friend could hug him.

“I came to see the views. _What do you think I’m doing here, you idiot?_ Jun-wan told me what happened. How could I stay away while all this was happening to my friends?” Song-hwa was squeezing his shoulder.

“How is she? Do you know anything yet?” Song-hwa asked, looking around, like the answer could magically appear. Working away she didn’t spend as much time with Gyeo-ul as her other friends, but every weekend she was in Seoul she made sure to see the girl at least for five minutes, to make sure she was keeping herself healthy and at the top of her game. She knew how much Jeong-won cared for her, and how both of them could get into their own heads way too much for their own good. Receiving Jun-wan’s texts was like an ice cold bucket dropped into her stomach. She had canceled everything for the rest of the day and just drove to be with her chosen family. 

Jeong-won was moving away to look at his family and friends when Ik-jun’s voice sounded from behind them.

“Jeong-won.”

Lee Ik-jun had a beat expression on his face, however, the tired smile that he was sporting almost made Jeong-won lose all control with relief.

“The operation is done. There was a lot of blood-loss, because the bastard injured an artery, so we had to make a transfusion. There was some harm done to the liver, but we were able of reducing the damage. However, while the operation went well, the next month will be very important, because we have to make sure that there’s no risk of peritonitis or liver failure. She will need close attention to any sign of weight loss, fever, swelling or pain. Hopefully things will keep like they have been and she will make a complete recover.”

Everyone sighed in relieve and Ahn Jeong-woo bowed to Ik-Jun, something that he had never done to his friend. But then, he had never saved the love of his life before.

“When can I see her?” Jeong-won promptly questioned.

“She will be in the ICU during the next hour, so we can be sure everything is really alright. Then we will transfer her to a room.”

“Move her to a VIP room. Don’t worry about the expenses.” President Joo said and everyone smiled gratefully at him.

“But one person can see her.” Ik-jun stated, with his eyes shining merrily.

Jeong-won immediately stepped forward. Then he turned back to address Min-ha.

“I’ve been trying to call her brother, but he hasn’t replied yet. Can you try again? From what Gyeo-ul told me he is on vacation in France, so it might take a while for him to answer. I just don’t want him to know through the news or something. He will be worried enough as it is...”

The female resident nodded, pulling her phone out and immediately moving away to keep trying. She knew he probably had his phone on silent mode or turned off, but being only the two of them, Chu Min-ha knew how the siblings cared about each other. And how worried he would be when he noticed all the calls from Professor Ahn’s number.

Jeong-won followed Ik-jun, turning back for a moment to smile and bow at everyone. His caring smile and teary eyes said more than words could ever do, and he hoped everyone knew just how thankful he was for all their support.

When he entered the ICU, Jeong-won froze. He knew what a person looked like with a oxygen mask on their face and an IV drip on their arm. However, theoretically knowing that his girlfriend would look like that, and actually seeing it was an painful wake-up call. The monitors around her were beeping smoothly, and he immediately analyzed all the info about her status. Concluding that everything was as it should be, Jeong-won sat on the available chair and grabbed Gyeo-ul’s cold hand. It’s temperature was too similar to his dark thoughts and he shivered with barely suppressed panic.

Lee Ik-jun stepped back, leaving the two alone, and returned to the rest of their friends, his steps much lighter compared to the ones before the surgery.

“Honey, you are so strong. Please don’t take too long to wake up, okay? I’m waiting for you. We have to pick up my car, remember? And we have that nice dinner on your favorite restaurant. Oh, and the concert you wanted to go to. Actually, we have so many things to do, that you have to wake up quickly, alright? Your brother will be worried, and all our friends and family are waiting for you outside. So, please, open your beautiful eyes soon.” Jeong-won kissed her hand, squeezing her fingers, trying to warm them.

“I love you.” he said, before letting his head rest next to her body, on the bed.

* * *

“Where am I?” the sound of her voice made Jeong-won jump in the air and look up with hopeful eyes.

Jang Gyeo-ul was wearing a dazed expression, looking around her at the strange, yet familiar, room. Her perception of it was the opposite of what she was used to, so it was hard to actually recognize the room as one of the VIP infirmary.

“Honey, Gyeo-ul.” Jeong-won caressed her face with his hand and she closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his palm.

“What happened?” her words were a bit slurred, an effect of the anesthesia. At least, she wasn’t puking.

“You don’t remember?”

She scrunched her eyebrows, the memories assaulting her in quick succession, until she gasped and grabbed Jeong-won’s hand.

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

Jeong-won felt a sudden anger at her words. How could she worry about him when it was her laying on a bed after a liver surgery? When it should have been him that took the brunt force of that monster? She was too good for him and instead of protecting her against injuries he was the reason for her actual predicament. How could he keep her by his side and make sure that she no longer did reckless things before he could stop her?

Apparently, there was only one solution to this problem.

“Marry me.” Jeong-won stated, more than asked, and squeals like those of rats being stepped on echoed behind him, scaring him to death.

He looked back, but the door’s window was now empty. However, he was almost sure that, on both sides of the door, three doctors, one resident and one mother were currently clutching their chests. And another doctor was probably shacking his head at their antics.

“What?”

“Marry me, please. Jang Gyeo-ul, please, become my wife for the rest of my life.” he was not really sure what made him say it in that moment. It was not the first time they had talked about marriage, but somehow it only happened as some kind of joke, after Ik-jun or his mother made another attempt at pushing them to next level. But in his head, it was far from a joke. It was very important to have their commitment written down and present in the form of rings, a home and a family. Actually, more than once, he found himself trying to guess her ring finger when they held hands or she slept next to him. He would be able to see her every day, assess if she was tired or happy, excited or downcast, help her in everything he could. Support her professionally, sleep beside her every day, wake up to see her shy smile and kiss those lips whenever he wanted and be damned everyone around them. 

Jang Gyeo-ul’s eyes were the size of saucers and he couldn’t help himself from chuckling at the cute image.

“Am I still dreaming? Or is the anestesia having a strange effect on me?” she asked, pouting. “Because if it’s one of those I will be really sad.”

“No, it’s all very real.”

And then she opened up her lips in a huge smile and gestured for her boyfriend to approach her. And kept gesturing until his lips were in front of hers.

“Then yes.”

And she kissed him, to the delight of the group outside their door, that started clapping and scared half the corridor into believing some kind of emergency was happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember if Gyeo-ul mentions her parents on the drama, or not. But for this story I'm imagining that they are no longer alive, and so it's been her brother and her for a bit now.


	4. Chapter 4

“Are you insane? Do you want me to die from a heart-attack? Saving that huge boyfriend of yours from a knife? What the hell? You are skinny, obviously, it would cut you immediately! You should have left Ahn Jeong-won be stabbed, with all those muscles the knife would just bounce out of him.” her brother was pacing in front of her bed, counting all the unnecessary ways she was going to provoke his early demise.

“I love you, little brother, but don’t ever tell me again to let Jeong-won be stabbed. I will punch you in the face when I can move without pain.”

Her brother rolled his eyes at her.

“When I saw all his calls and your friend reached me...” he sighed. “God, you are so smart, why would you act so stupid?”

She shrugged.

“Well, love really makes fools of us, isn’t that right?”

* * *

“Doctor Jang, is everything alright? How is your heartbeat? And your blood pressure? Do you feel any chest pain or tiredness?” Professor Kim walked into Gyeo-ul’s room, perusing the monitors around her and reading her chart.

“Everything is alright, Professor Kim. And thank you for your help when I got injured. Jeong-won told me you were very fast in reacting.” Gyeo-ul smiled shyly at him and Jun-wan coughed and rose to his entire height, trying to hide his blush.

“It was nothing, Doctor Jang. Just don’t ever do anything that stupid again. That idiot ruined my suit with his snot.” and trying to remain his composure, Jun-wan walked out of the room, but not before dropping three choco pies on her bedside table.

* * *

“My favorite resident! How are you this morning?” Professor Lee was as excited as ever, while checking her stitches and any redness around the area. “Everyone is _rhapsodying_ your brave tale around the hospital.” 

_“_ Professor, is that even a real word?” she asked, when Ik-jun sat on a chair next to her bed.

“I don’t care, poetic souls are known for creating their own language.” he replied and Gyeo-ul had to chuckle softly. “But, seriously, now, if you feel any kind of pain don’t try to hide, alright? Besides caring for you as a daughter, I don’t think I can stand all those sad looks and teary eyes that Jeong-won dedicated to you while you were asleep. He doesn’t look pretty when he cries, I hope you don’t see it ever or else you will run away. He gets all snotty and blotched, yuck! Anyway, I have work to do. See you later, my favorite resident!”

And he left her room skipping like she had seen U-ju do when they had dinner at Professor Lee's place a little time ago. He left behind a bouquet of flowers, clearly a private joke between them.

* * *

Gyeo-ul had changed her ringtone recently, so it took her while to recognize that it was her own phone ringing. Professor Chae’s name was displayed on the screen and Gyeo-ul wondered what might have happened for the neurosurgeon to call her.

“Gyeo-ul! How are you?” after eating together for the first time, Professor Chae started speaking to her informally, since, according to her, anyone able of making Jeong-won pay for meat was someone she needed to be close with.

“I’m alright. The stitches haven’t given me any problems and there’s no sign of peritonitis. According to Professor Lee everything is as it should be.”

“That’s really good. And about food? Have you been eating well? Don’t let that cheapskate fool you! Make him pay for meat and nutritious meals. You need it! I don’t care if he acted all prince charming professing his undying love for you for everyone to see. Ask for meat, that’s where real love lays.”

Gyeo-ul chuckled and Professor Chae answered with a sigh.

“I really have to go back after this year ends, you idiots always get in trouble when I’m not around.” and before Gyeo-ul could say anything she was already hanging up.

 _So, Gyeo-ul was now part of the idiots, hum?_ She was left with a smile at the thought.

* * *

“Dr. Jang?”

Gyeo-ul looked up from her peruse of her own scar. She had been making sure it was healing as it should, without formation of any keloids that might mar her skin even more.

“Oh, Professor Yang. Good afternoon!” Gyeo-ul replied, slightly bowing until she remembered her predicament and stopped before hurting herself. She sat again on her bed, when the professor stepped forward. He was scratching the back of his neck, clearly dubious of what to do next.

“Do you want to sit?” she asked, gesturing at the chair close to her bed.

Seok-hyeong immediately shook his head, looking around as if he was looking for an excuse to leave as soon as possible. Not finding any, he started messing with the pockets of his white coat.

“Here.” he said, extending a small tube of cream. Jang Gyeo-ul accepted it, reading the small letters on the cream. “It’s the best cream to avoid scarring. My patients always use it after a C-section. Not that you had a C-section, probably in a close future, if Jeong-won’s words are to be believed about your uncountable goodness. Anyway... I’m leaving now, I have some patients waiting for me. Stay safe, Doctor Jang.”

And Gyeo-ul was left speechless at Professor Yang’s words.

* * *

“Chocolates, flowers, a silly smile and a very expensive cream...” Chu Min-ha was counting the objects over Gyeo-ul’s bedside table. “Damn, Professor Ahn Jeong-won really doesn’t stop at anything to make his fiancee feel cherished.” she winked at her friend cheerily.

“Hum... Actually, none of it is from him...” Gyeo-ul replied and Min-ha’s eyes widened.

“Oh my god, do you have a secret admirer?” she put her hands over her chest and sighed dreamily. “It’s like a drama. The rich sweet chaebol versus a flame from the past.”

Jang Gyeo-ul chuckled at her friend’s antics. Chu Min-ha smiled back.

“I like to hear you laugh.” she confessed. “Please, don’t ever do that again, okay? Next time just duck and take your honey with you.”

“Are you thinking about someone stabbing me again in a near future?”

Min-ha’s face fell and she pouted.

“That’s not funny.”

“I know, I know. Thank you, for being here for me.” Gyeo-ul extended her arm and squeezed her friend’s hand.

Min-ha looked away, sniffing softly.

“Idiot. Just tell me who gave you those things.”

Gyeo-ul blushed a pretty pink.

“Some new found family members.”

* * *

“What do you think you are doing?” Jeong-won’s voice made Gyeo-ul jump in fright and turn around like a kid caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.

Jeong-won had run around the entire hospital after finding Gyeo-ul’s brother in a panic at finding her bed empty and no sign of her anywhere close to the VIP infirmary.

She was supposed to be resting, but here she was, sitting outside, the chill of the sunset starting to appear. And worst, his mother was next to her, both holding hot chocolates in their hands, like two school girls skipping class.

“My son, don’t be like that. The poor girl was feeling cooped up, with everyone appearing in her room every ten minutes. Being such an amazing doctor really has some downsides, I guess.” Jung Rosa chuckled and her son had the sudden desire to just turn around and ignore the two most important women of his life, but hence, he was too much a mama’s boy and Gyeo-ul’s man to really do that.

“You shouldn’t be out here, it’s getting cold. At least put this on.” and he took out his white doctor coat and put it over his girlfriend’s shoulders.

Rosa was watching him with a little smile on her face.

“So, when are you thinking about getting a ring and really propose?” Rosa asked and Jeong-won looked confused at her.

“I already proposed.” the pediatric surgeon replied, and his mother hit him on the shoulder.

“While it was all very drama-like this girl needs a proper proposal! God, what kind of son did I raise?” Rosa was getting worked up and the two doctors couldn’t help themselves and started laughing.

“Thank you for worrying so much about me.” Gyeol-ul said, not only about the wedding part, but for everything.

Rosa visited her every other day, bringing her sweets and books, making sure that her room was always tidy. Actually, after the first time she visited Gyeo-ul during which Rosa bowed to her and cried while hugging the girl, the GS resident felt that Rosa no longer saw her as just her son’s girlfriend but someone she respected. It made her feel so happy she couldn’t really turn it into words.

“My parents are no longer alive, and it’s been just my brother and I. And, for the first time in a long time, I feel like I remember feeling when my mother was alive. Cared and loved by a mother.” before Gyeo-ul could say anything else, both Rosa and Jeong-won were hugging her, careful of her injury, but still close enough that she could feel their love.

The three of them were bawling their eyes out, but Jang Gyeo-ul couldn’t have been happier.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, people. The last chapter, more of an epilogue, really, for this small voyage. I hope you like it. And let's hope for a lot more Winter Garden in season 2!

Gyeo-ul was reclining in a lawn chair, her feet propped up on a bench and her shirt rising up over her protruding belly. She was reading, while around her, a small boy was chasing butterflies throughout the garden, under the shade of a big white house and the cherry trees.

Suddenly the boy stopped his playing and approached her.

“Mama...” he called and Gyeo-ul put down her book to pay attention to the boy. “Why do you have that?” he was pointing at a big scar on her abdomen, faded from the years, but still clearly visible.

“Mama got hurt some years ago and the scar never disappeared.” her son pouted at her words.

“I thought only little boys like me got hurt.”

Gyeo-ul chuckled under her breath.

“Oh no, mamas and papas can get hurt too. Just like kids. In the hospital, we see lots of grown ups that get hurt too, and we try to make them all better.”

The little boy nodded solemnly. Sometimes he was so much like her it was uncanny.

“Then I will protect you and the baby from getting hurt.” and then, he opened in a big smile, just like his father, completely melting Gyeo-ul’s heart.

“And I will protect all of you.” Jeong-won’s voice appeared from inside their house, grabbing the child and tickling him, making him roar in laughter.

“Papa, did you know that mama got hurt in her belly?”

Jeong-won’s expression darkened and he sighed.

“Yes, Jun-won. Your mama was very brave and protected papa from a bad man.” Jeong-won said, sitting on the grass with his son on his lap.

“What?” his little eyes widened, looking at his mother and Gyeo-ul blushed.

“Your mama is a super-hero, she just doesn’t have a cape.” Jeong-won praised. “She is smart, beautiful, strong and so courageous it makes me tremble in fear that something or someone could hurt her.”

Jeong-won kissed Gyeo-ul’s belly and she chuckled at the tickling sensation.

“And your papa is a super-hero as well. He can make children stop hurting, he puts everyone’s well-being in front of his own and he makes me the happiest mama on earth.” Gyeo-ul felt Jeong-won rub his cheek against her belly and rest his ear there, trying to feel any kind of movement from the baby inside.

Jun-won, probably feeling like the mood was turning too mushy, suddenly jumped from his father’s lap and started jumping up and down.

“Make me fly, papa!” and Jeong-won took his son in his arms and ran with him through the trees, flowers and garden apparel.

“Jun-won, Jeong-won, be careful!” Gyeo-ul admonished them, the laughter warming her heart, while she rubbed her belly.

“You are one lucky baby. Your papa, your brother and I will love you very much.”

“Mama, kiss attack!” Jun-won ran to her, filling her face with wet kisses, while Jeong-won rose her feet from the bench, so he could sat with them on his lap. He smiled at his wife, rubbing her ankles and she sighed.

“I love you.” Jeong-won mouthed with a soft smile.

“One lucky baby, indeed.”


End file.
